Vent tube for bottling machine and related methods

ABSTRACT

A method of connecting a vent tube to a bottling machine comprising providing a vent tube having a vent tube alignment mechanism, a receiver defining a through-opening and a receiver alignment mechanism, and a biasing mechanism for biasing against at least a portion of the vent tube. Aligning the vent tube with the through-opening and the vent tube alignment mechanism with the receiver alignment mechanism, inserting the vent tube into the receiver against the biasing mechanism, rotating the vent tube such that the vent tube alignment mechanism is not aligned with the receiver alignment mechanism, and locking the vent tube to the receiver using the biasing mechanism to bias the vent tube alignment mechanism out of alignment with the receiver alignment mechanism to form a positive locking feature that keeps the vent tube connected to the receiver throughout bottling machine operations.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/465,248, filed Mar. 21, 2017, and claims the benefit of U.S. PatentApplication No. 62/468,145, filed Mar. 7, 2017, and U.S. PatentApplication No. 62/311,727, filed Mar. 22, 2016, which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD

This invention relates generally to vent tubes, mating relationshipsbetween vent tubes and the valve inserts or gas stems they connect to,and bottling machines that use same, and, more particularly, to a quickconnect mechanism for connecting vent tubes to valve inserts used inbottling machines and methods relating to same.

BACKGROUND

Bottling machines can be used to fill a variety of containers with avariety of fluids. Bottling machines include vent tubes which extendinto the container being filled. The vent tubes are hollow to allow gasto flow into and out of the bottle through the vent tube. The vent tubemay also include an external structure, such as a spreader or umbrella,which alters the flow of liquid being added to the bottle and these aretypically designed in a manner that allows the liquid to be added to thebottle more quickly or efficiently (e.g., reducing foaming, etc.) tospeed up the bottle filing or bottling process. Vent tubes frequentlyneed to be changed to accommodate different containers and/or differentfluids. The bottling machine cannot run while the vent tube is beingchanged. Current attachment methods for vent tubes include threadedattachments and press fit attachments. Threaded attachments were themain way vent tubes were connected to the valve insert (also known as agas stem or vent tube insert) of the bottle filing station of thebottling machine. One problem with such threaded connections is thatthey often require the use of tools, such as wrenches, which are notoften readily available. Thus, workers often use the wrong tool, such asa pliers (e.g., such as a tongue and groove lock pliers) to grip andloosen the vent tube and this often causes damage to the vent tube(e.g., bending, scraping, etc.). This use of tools to tighten screw-invent tubes can also lead to over torqueing problems which can result indamage to the valve cover. Threaded vent tubes also become problematicin that during the heated cleaning cycles, threads expand making thevent tubes loose fitting and, thus, capable of inadvertent removal. Theneed for tools and rotating or screwing the vent tube in and out alsoslows the process down for changing the bottling machine over from oneset of vent tubes to a different set of vent tubes (e.g., such as whenchanging the bottling line to fill a different type of bottle or to fillbottles with a different liquid).

An attempt has been made to address these issues, which involves the useof a press fit configuration between the vent tube and valve insert. Aswill be discussed further below, these vent tubes are often difficult toremove and insert in the valve insert, which becomes an even biggerproblem when dealing with large bottling machines that may have seventyto well over one hundred vent tubes needing to be changed. In addition,another problem associated with such press fit vent tubes is that theyoften are installed incorrectly and can slip out or fall into a bottleduring the bottle filling process. If this happens, the entireproduction line has to be shut down until the missing vent tube islocated (i.e., it is not enough to just throw out the bottles, butrather the missing peace has to be found to account for same and ensurethat it did not make its way into a bottle that leaves the bottler'sfacility). Given that many high-speed bottling machines fill over onethousand bottles per minute, it should be clear how a lost vent tube maytake a very long time to find even if it was noticed as missing soonafter it slipped out of connection with the valve insert.

Thus, conventional vent tubes and the way they are connected to valveinserts at the bottling filing stations of bottling machines havesignificant problems (e.g., they are time consuming to change, oftenresult in large amounts of downtime for the machine, etc.).

Accordingly, it has been determined that a need exists for a vent tubewith an improved connecting means, for bottling equipment that utilizessame and related methods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the figures of theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a bottle filling station of a bottlingmachine.

FIG. 1B is a side view in partial cross section of the bottle filingstation of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C is a cross sectional view of another prior art valve assemblyfor use in a bottling machine showing the vent tube and gas stem in moredetail.

FIG. 2 illustrates a pair of gas stems and vent tubes having prior artattachment means.

FIG. 3 illustrates a disassembled gas stem assembly according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 4A-D are perspective, side elevation, end elevation and crosssectional views, respectively, of a receiver according to an embodimentof the present invention with the cross section being taken along line4D-4D in FIG. 4C.

FIGS. 5A-B are respective cross sectional views of a gas stem assemblyin a first fully inserted position to allow for locking or unlockingrotational movement of the vent tube and a second seated positionwherein the vent tube is locked in position and rotational movement isprohibited.

FIG. 5C is a front elevation view of the gas stem assembly of FIG. 5A.

FIGS. 6A-B are side elevation and cross sectional views, respectively,of a gas stem according to an embodiment of the present invention withthe cross section taken along line 6B-6B in FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6C is an enlarged or expanded view of the end of the gas stem ofFIG. 6B.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of a gas stem according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a receiver according to an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 8B is an end view of the receiver of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8C is a cross section view of the receiver of FIGS. 8A-8B takenalong lines 8C-8C in FIG. 8B.

FIG. 8D is a second cross section view of the receiver of FIGS. 8A-8Ctaken along lines 8D-8D in FIG. 8B.

FIG. 8E is a perspective cross section view of the receiver of FIG. 8C.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of a gas stem according to an embodimentof the present invention.

Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity andhave not necessarily been drawn to scale or to include all features,options or attachments. For example, the dimensions and/or relativepositioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggeratedrelative to other elements to help to improve understanding of variousembodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understoodelements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasibleembodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a lessobstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention.Certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in aparticular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art willunderstand that such specificity with respect to sequence is notactually required. The terms and expressions used herein have theordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressionsby persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above exceptwhere different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

Similar features shown in the different embodiments illustrated in thefigures above share similar reference numbers. Each element has a threedigit reference number, with the first digit representing the embodimentnumber and the last two digits representing the component. For example,element 110 is the vent tube in embodiment 1 and element 310 is a venttube in embodiment 3. Other than the differences explicitly describedand/or shown, elements with corresponding elements are understood to besubstantially similar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Many variations of vent tubes in valve insert assemblies (also known asgas stem or vent tube insert assemblies) are discussed herein and evenfurther are contemplated in view of this disclosure. The vent tubesdiscussed herein are configured, and designed, to quickly attach anddetach to the receiver portion of the gas stems in order to allow forrapid changeover from one bottle filling setup to another. The venttubes herein can vary drastically in length, diameter, and shape. Inmany applications, it is desirable to have a wide variety of vent tubes,each having the same attachment means so that they can be interchangedto allow a bottling machine or bottle filing line to be used to fillcontainers of different types (e.g., shapes, sizes, configurations,etc.) and/or fill containers with different fluids. As mentioned above,Applicant claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/468,145,filed Mar. 7, 2017, and U.S. Patent Application No. 62/311,727, filedMar. 22, 2016, which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety. Applicant further incorporates herein by reference in itsentirety U.S. Design application No. 29/597,122, filed Mar. 14, 2017.

FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of a bottle filling station 100 of abottling machine (or beverage bottling plant). The bottling machine 100includes a plurality of gas stem assemblies 101. Each gas stem assembly101 has a gas stem base 102, a gasket 104, and a vent tube 110. The venttube 110 is attached to the gas stem base 102. The vent tube 110comprises a hollow, cylindrical body having an optional spreader 112extending radially outward and an opening 114. The spreader 112 as shownis shaped as an umbrella or flange, however other shapes can be useddepending on the liquid and bottle being used (e.g., flanges havingdifferent radius of curvature may be used for different fluids in orderto optimize the filling process). The opening 114 extends the entirelength of the vent tube 110 and allows gas to flow from the gas stemassembly 101 to a bottle positioned around the vent tube 110 (or thatthe vent tube 110 disposed in).

A side view of the bottling filling station 100 in operation is shown inFIG. 1B. Bottles 105 are pressed up against the gasket 104 forming anair tight seal. Compressed gas, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) is thenreleased or pumped into the bottles 105 through the opening 114 of thevent tubes 110. After the bottles 105 are pressurized, liquid is added.The liquid can be any liquid, such as soda, beer, juice, carbonatedwater, water, etc. The liquid is released along the outer surface of thevent tubes 110. The spreader 112 alters the flow of the liquid so thatbottles 105 can be filled at a higher rate without excessive foaming,etc. In some embodiments, the spreaders 112 are shaped such that theliquid flows along the inside wall of the bottles 105. As the liquidenters the bottles 105, gas is vented from the bottles 105 through theopenings 114 in the vent tubes 110 in order to maintain a constantpressure. Examples of bottling machines and bottle filling stations arealso disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,647,950 B2 (issued Jan. 19, 2010) andU.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0217983 A1 (published Aug.6, 2015), which are both owned by KHS GmbH (one of the larger makers ofthese types of machines) and are incorporated herein by reference intheir entirety in order to keep this application brief and avoid theneed to repeat details that can be found elsewhere.

FIG. 1C illustrates a more detailed version of a prior art valveassembly having a gas stem 102, receiver 130, and vent tube 110. The gasstem 102 includes a guide tube 3 that forms the outer body of the gasstem 102. A large portion of the gas stem 102 is located within ahousing comprising an upper housing 7 and lower housing 14. The gas stem102 is slidable within the housings 7, 14 and biased with a spring 6.The gas stem 102 can slide downward from the housing into a firstextended position, or can slide upward into the housing to be in asecond retracted position which is shown in FIG. 1C. The outer surfaceof the gas stem 102 includes one or more grooves for o-rings 4 whichform a seal between the gas stem 102 and the upper housing 7.

FIG. 2 illustrates two prior art gas stem assemblies 201. The gas stemassemblies 201 comprise gas stem bases 202 and vent tubes 210. The venttubes 210 attach to the gas stem bases 202 via attachment means 220,221. The first attachment means 220 comprises threads. The male threadsof the attachment means 220 located on one end of the vent tube 210interact with female threads on the interior of the gas stem base 202 inorder to securely attach the vent tube 210 to the gas stem base 202. Inmost instances, workers need a tool, such as a wrench, to screw orunscrew the vent tube 210, thus flat surfaces 217 are formed into thevent tube 210 so that the wrench or pliers do not slip. In practice,however, most workers do not carry a wrench with them or keep one nearbyand, thus, they end up either using their hands and only getting thevent tube hand tight (which varies from person-to-person and can lead toa loosened vent tube falling out during operation of the equipment) orusing a pliers (e.g., a tongue and groove pliers, clamping pliers, etc.)which often can cause damage to the equipment (e.g., scratching orbending of the vent tube, neighboring vent tubes, etc.). Even if awrench or other tool is readily available, the need to use a tool andthe time it takes to unscrew or screw-in the vent tube further slowsdown the process of changing over the bottling machine to run adifferent line of bottles.

The second attachment means 221 is a press fitting. The press fittingcomprises at least one ring made of a compressible material, such asrubber or silicon, fixed to the vent tube 210 near one end. When thatend of the vent tube 210 is pressed into the gas stem base 202, the ringdeforms to match the shape of the interior surface of the gas stem base202, thus forming a seal. The high friction between the ring and theinterior of the gas stem base 202 resists removal of the vent tube 210.Thus it takes a large amount of force and time in order to switch outthe vent tubes 210. A main problem with this type of friction fit orpassive locking configuration, however, is that it often results in animproperly installed vent tube falling out during bottle filling, whichcauses the entire production line to be stopped and searched until thelost vent tube is found. Most plants are prohibited from re-startingproduction until the missing part is accounted for in order to ensure itdoes not find its way out into the hands of a consumer. Given that someof the high speed bottling machines or plants can fill one thousandbottles per minute, one can imagine how long it may take to find themissing vent tube (and that is assuming the missing part was detectedright away, which is not always the case). In practice, workers oftenend up using tools such as pliers to grip the vent tube to assist theworker in removing or installing same and these tools often can damagethe vent tube and/or damage surrounding machinery components when thevent tube is removed with force and/or when the tool slips from itsintended position.

Thus, it is clear in view of the above-identified problems associatedwith existing vent tubes that a need exists for an easier vent tubeattachment mechanism and system. In a preferred form, such a solutionwill be quick and easy to perform so as to reduce downtime associatedwith product line change overs and the like. In addition, it would bepreferable to have a positive locking feature that actively secures thevent tube to the gas stem rather than the screw thread arrangement orpassive locking feature of the friction fit embodiment illustrated inFIG. 2. The conventional vent tube connection mechanisms (e.g., threadedor friction fit) often can be connected inappropriately and end-upcausing the bottling machinery to be shut down for some time whileworkers search the bottles for missing vent tubes that have fallen offthe gas stem and are now somewhere downstream in the process within abottle. These shutdowns for lost parts are often as problematic (if notmore so) as the shutdowns required to do a changeover from one bottlefiling setup to another. As mentioned above, such shutdowns can alsorequire the inspection of voluminous amounts of product before theproduction line is allowed to start-up again and, thus, createsignificant downtime, wasted labor hours and loss of production (e.g.,downtimes could be minutes, hours or days depending on how much producthas to be inspected). The lost items also run the risk of damaging thebottle and requiring inspection of same at a later stage in the process.For example, having a metal vent tube fall off and into a glass bottlecan lead to a concern over chipped glass in the bottle, etc. Theexisting vent tube connection means (threaded or friction fit) alsofatigue early due to misuse in handling (e.g., operator using wrongtools, removing improperly, stripping threads, worn o-rings, etc.) dueto all of the production line changeovers where different vent tubes areinserted and removed repeatedly to fill different bottles or liquids.

FIG. 3 illustrates a gas stem assembly 301 according to an embodiment ofthe present invention. The gas stem assembly 301 comprises a gas stembase 302, a vent tube 310, a cup or receiver 330, a spring 332 and aspring sleeve 334. The receiver 330 is configured to attach to the gasstem base 302 with the spring 332 and spring sleeve 334 being positionedbetween the gas stem base 302 and the receiver 330 to positively lockthe vent tube into the receiver or gas stem base with an activeengagement.

When assembled, the spring 332 presses against the inside of the gasstem base 302 and biases the spring sleeve 334 toward the receiver 330.In alternative embodiments, the spring sleeve 334 is removed, and thespring directly contacts the gas stem base 302 and the receiver 330. Inother alternative embodiments, the receiver 330 is permanently attachedto the gas stem base 302 or is a portion of the gas stem base 302,rather than being a separate component. Regardless of the chosenconfiguration, the biasing mechanism (e.g., spring, etc.) is used topositively lock the vent tube into position to prevent unintentionalremoval of same and, when desired, the biasing mechanism can be moved torelease the vent tube for rapid change out to reduce the amount ofdowntime for the bottling machinery or line. This active engagementallows the user to ensure the vent tube is properly installed in a quickand easy manner that prevents the risk of unintentional or inadvertentremoval of the vent tube during operation of the machinery.

The vent tube 310 has a longitudinal axis 311 and at least oneprotrusion 316 extending radially outward perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis 311 near a first end 315 of the vent tube 310. Theembodiment shown in FIG. 4 has two protrusions 316, with the secondbeing directly across from the one that is visible and preferably in asymmetrical layout to help simplify operation. However, in alternateforms a non-symmetrical arrangement may be desired to only afford oneorientation that the vent tube can be installed in on the gas stem.

In the form illustrated, at least the first end 315 of the vent tube 310is configured to pass through a hole or opening 331 passing through thecenter of the receiver 330 when both are aligned along the longitudinalaxis 311. The opening 331 is not circular, as a result the portion ofthe vent tube 310 having the protrusion 316 can only pass through theopening 331 in certain orientations. The shape of the opening 331 canvary (e.g., to control the number of orientations the vent tube can beplaced in that allow insertion of the vent tube into the receiver and/orto dictate the exact positioning require for such insertion). Examplesinclude circular or near circular openings with slots or grooves shapedto allow the protrusion 316 to pass through or ellipses through whichthe vent tube 310 can pass when the protrusion 316 is aligned with thesemi-major axis. The protrusion 316 and opening 331 form a bayonetlatch. The spring 332, protrusions 316, and recesses form a positivelocking mechanism, with a force being applied by the spring 332 onto theprotrusions 316 to maintain their recessed location (or location in therecesses) so that the vent tube 310 remains locked in place. Asmentioned above, the spring force may be directly or indirectly appliedto the protrusions depending on the selected configuration for the venttube and receiver assembly. It should be understood that in FIG. 3 theprotrusions 316 are not shown aligned with the clearances or openings331 as they would need to be in order to insert the vent tube 310 intothe receiver 330, but rather they are shown turned by a fractionalamount (e.g., 33°, 45°, 90°, etc.) to indicate the position they wouldbe in when nested or locked in the receiver 330.

The vent tube 310 further includes one or more annular grooves 317extending around the outer circumference of the vent tube 310 near thefirst end 315. In operation, these annular grooves 317 form fluidfillable voids. The presence or flow of fluid within the rings 317 formsfluid seals that operate much like gaskets or o-rings would ifpositioned in these grooves. Specifically, the fluid seals form abarrier between the gas flowing along the inside of the vent tube 310and the fluid flowing along the outside of the vent tube 310. The numberof annular grooves 317 vary, in a preferred embodiment there are atleast two. In alternative embodiments, gaskets or o-rings are positionedinside of the annular grooves 317 to help form a barrier or seal.

In operation, the vent tube 310 is passed through the receiver 330 untilprotrusion 316 exits the channel formed by opening 331 out the sidefacing the gas stem base 302. The vent tube 310 is then rotated aroundthe longitudinal axis 311 (which would be the longitudinal axis of thevent tube and receiver) so that the protrusion 316 is not aligned withthe opening 331, thus preventing the vent tube 310 from passing backthrough the receiver 330 in the opposite direction. In some embodiments,the side of the receiver 330 facing the gas stem base 302 includes oneor more mating recesses configured to hold the one or more protrusions316. The recesses are out of alignment with the opening 331 by more thanzero degrees (0°) and up to one hundred eighty degrees (180°) or more,so that the protrusion 316 is aligned with the recess when not alignedwith the opening 331. In a preferred form, a fractional turnconfiguration would be used so that the vent tube is rotated afractional amount (e.g., ¼ turn, ½ turn, etc.) to move the protrusion316 from alignment with the opening 331 to alignment with the matingrecess. When the protrusion 316 is in the mating recess, the rotation ofthe vent tube 310 about the longitudinal axis 311 is restricted, unlessthe vent tube 310 is first moved along the longitudinal axis 311 towardthe gas stem base 302.

In the form illustrated, the spring sleeve 334 contacts the vent tube310, biasing the protrusion 316 toward the recess, positively lockingthe vent tube 310 in position. This reduces the risk of the vent tube310 rotating and falling out as the result of vibration of the bottlingmachine 100 or contact with the bottles 105. However, the vent tube 310can still be quickly removed by a user by pressing the vent tube 310 upagainst the pressure of the spring 332, rotating the vent tube about thelongitudinal axis by up to one hundred eighty degrees (180°) so that theprotrusion aligns with the opening 331, and passing the vent tubethrough the receiver 330.

The protrusions 316 can be any shape, including blade shaped (as shown),cylindrical posts, hemispherical bumps, truncated cones, etc. The matingstructures may also include features such as beveling, tapering orbell-mouthing in order to make it easier to start the installation ofthe vent tube into the receiver (e.g., in a preferred form, aconfiguration is used that provides greater tolerance for a misalignedvent tube at the start and then guides the vent tube into a tightertolerance channel as it is inserted into the receiver for properalignment each and every time).

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is a quarter-turn configuration. In thisconfiguration there are two symmetrical protrusions located one hundredeighty degrees (180°) apart around the outer surface of the vent tube310. The receiver 330 includes two recesses located ninety degrees (90°)out of alignment with the opening 331, so that the vent tube 310 needonly be rotated ninety degrees (90°) in either direction to move betweena secured state (with the protrusions 316 aligned with the recesses) andan unsecured state (with the protrusions 316 aligned with the opening311).

An alternative embodiment is a half-turn configuration which comprises asingle protrusion 316 and single recess that is 180 degrees out ofalignment with the opening 331. This embodiment works in substantiallythe same way, except the vent tube 310 is rotated by 180 degrees ineither direction to transition between states.

Alternative embodiments can be made with any number of protrusions 316and recesses, with recesses being out of alignment with the opening 331by any amount.

In some embodiments, the recesses are removed or not present. The sideof the receiver 330 facing the gas stem base 302 is flat. In thisembodiment, the spring 332 biases the protrusion 316 toward the receiver330 with enough force that the friction between the protrusion 316 andthe receiver 330 prevents the vent tube 310 from inadvertently rotatingand detaching from the rest of the gas stem assembly 301. In still otherforms, the mating recess may be located in the spring sleeve 334 ratherthan the receiver 330 so that rotation to the vent tube 310 is permitteduntil it gets to an end-stop defined by the spring sleeve 334. In suchconfigurations, the design would still allow the user to rotate the venttube in the opposite direction at all times, but would give the user thecomfort and knowledge that they have rotated the vent tube the desiredamount by letting the user feel the vent tube reach the end stop. Thistype of configuration would rely on the friction applied to the venttube by the spring sleeve to prevent from inadvertent or unintentionalremoval, however, since it does not lock the vent tube in position orprevent rotational movement, it is not as desired as the main embodimentdiscussed above.

The vent tube 310 can include the elements of previous vent tubes 110,210, such as the spreader 112, 212 or any of several undisclosedfeatures that are known in the art. This disclosure is focused on themeans for attaching the vent tubes to the gas stems, and thus thatelement of the vent tubes is shown in greater detail. The overall sizeand shape of the vent tubes along with the existence and shape ofspreaders or other features can vary wildly within the embodiments ofthe invention described herein.

FIGS. 4A-D illustrate a three point perspective view of a receiver 430according to an embodiment of the present invention. There is an opening431 extending through the center of the receiver 430 that is configuredto receive a vent tube 310 as described above. The opening 431 is notcircular, as it has a groove or elongated portion 433 through which theprotrusions 316 on a vent tube 310 can pass. The receiver 430 furthercomprises one or more recesses 435 configured to hold a protrusion 316of a vent tube 310.

In operation, the vent tube 310 is rotated so that the protrusion 316 isin line with the elongated portion 433. The vent tube 310 is thenpartially inserted into the receiver 430 until the protrusion 316 passesthrough the receiver 430. The vent tube 310 is then rotated until theprotrusion 316 aligns with a recess 435. A spring 332 biases theprotrusion 316 into the recess 435. When the protrusion 316 is in therecess 435, the vent tube 310 is restricted from rotating. In order toremove the vent tube 310, the vent tube 310 must be pressed against thespring 332 moving the protrusion 316 out of the recess 435, the venttube 310 can then be rotated until the protrusion 316 aligns with theelongated portion 433 and can be passed back through the receiver 430.

The receiver 430 additionally comprises a gasket 404. The gasket 404 isconfigured to form a seal with the lip of a bottle 105 so that gasreleased through the vent tube 310 can be used to pressurize the bottle105.

FIGS. 5A-B illustrates a cross sectional view of a gas stem assembly501. The gas stem assembly 501 includes a vent tube 510 which isremovably inserted into a receiver 530 which is in turn removablyattached to a gas stem base 502. The receiver 530 has a pair of recesses535 into which protrusions 516 on the vent tube 510 can rest. There is agap 551 between the recess 535 and the gas stem base 502 in which theprotrusions 516 can travel. As shown above, this gap 551 can contain aspring 302 for biasing the protrusions 516 into the recess 535. Thereare other gaps 552, 553 between the vent tube 510 and the gas stem base502. In alternative embodiments, any of these gaps 551, 552, 553 or anycombination thereof can contain a spring biasing the vent tube 510towards the receiver 530 so that it is positively locked in place.

The top image (FIG. 5A) shows the vent tube 510 fully inserted into thereceiver 530. In this position, the protrusions 516 are outside of therecesses 535, therefore the vent tube 510 is free to rotate. Asdescribed above, when the vent tube 510 is rotated to a certainorientation, it is free to pass through the receiver 530 to be removed.The bottom image (FIG. 5B) shows the vent tube 510 in the lockedposition wherein the protrusions 516 are located within the recesses535. In this position, rotation of the vent tube 510 is restricted.

FIG. 5C illustrates the gas stem assembly 501 of FIGS. 5A-B. The gasstem assembly further comprises a gasket 504 and flow features 512. Asshown in previous embodiments, the flow features 512 can comprisespreaders 112, 212. Stainless steel spreaders are frequently used forbottling soda and other carbonated soft drinks and/or when bottling intoplastic bottles. In some embodiments, rubber spreaders are used, such aswhen bottling certain beers or ales and/or when bottling into glassbottles. Still in further embodiments, such as shown in FIG. 5C, thereare no spreaders. Instead the flow features 512 comprise a pair ofannular grooves. The flow features 512 are configured to alter the flowof a liquid, such as beer, that is running along the outer surface ofthe vent tube 510 in order to aid in the rapid filling of bottles. Insome forms, these annular grooves can be filled with spreaders ofvarying size or shape depending on the liquid being bottled and/or thebottle being filled.

An alternative vent tube 610 design is shown in FIGS. 6A-C. The venttube 610 comprises a hollow, cylindrical body having a pair of flowfeatures 612 a and 612 b as shown in FIG. 5A. The first flow feature 612a is an annular groove. The second flow feature 612 b is a taperedportion of the vent tube 610. The tapered portion 612 b is near thefirst end 615 of the vent tube 610, where the vent tube would beinserted into a receiver 530 and is meant to form a seat for thespreader or a place where the spreader can be positioned or nested toensure proper placement of same.

The vent tube 610 further comprises an opening 614 extending the entirelength of the vent tube 610. Unlike the uniform cylindrical openings 114shown above, the opening 614 in the present embodiment steps up in sizenear the first end 615. And expanded view of these steps are shown inFIG. 6C. The increase in cross section of the opening 614 near the firstend 615 reduces the velocity of the gas being vented from the bottle asit enters the gas stem base 502.

Another embodiment of a vent tube 710 is illustrated in FIG. 7. The venttube 710 includes a variety of flow features 712 a-e. The vent tube 710has a tapered end 712 a, a reverse umbrella 712 b, an annular groove 712c, an umbrella 712 d, and a plurality of milled flats 712 e. Dependingon the type of bottle being filled and the type of liquid being added tothe bottle, the combination of features shown in this and previousembodiments can vary. For example, a variety of rubber spreaders couldbe fit into the annular groove 712 c as desired. Other flow features notshown are also possible. For example, any of the features discussed withone embodiment above could equally be used with features of otherembodiments discussed above to form further configurations intended tobe covered herein.

FIGS. 8A-8E illustrate a fractional turn receiver 830 for use incombination with any of the above vent tubes and/or gas stem assemblies.The receiver 830 has at least one through-opening, such as groove orelongated portion 833, which, when aligned with the protrusion 316 of avent tube allows the vent tube to pass at least partially through thereceiver 830. The receiver 830 further includes at least one recess 835in which a protrusion 316 rests or may be at least partially nested. Thegroove or elongated portion 833 and the recess 835 both extend radiallyoutward from the center axis of the receiver, to provide clearance forthe protrusions 316. A groove or clearance 836 in the receiver 830extends along the inner surface of the receiver 830 between theelongated portion 833 and the recess 835. This groove or clearance 836provides space for the protrusion 316 to fit when the vent tube 310 ispushed all the way in so as to allow the vent tube 310 to rotate.Because there is no corresponding groove or clearance 836 on theopposite side of the elongated portion 833 and recess 835 there is notenough clearance in those directions for the protrusion 316 to pass.Thus, the groove or clearance 836 forms a limited area of travel, withtravel limits being located at either end of the groove (one at theelongated portion 833 and the other at the recess 835). As such, thevent tube 310 is only rotatable in one direction, towards the recess835, from either the elongated portion 833. Similarly, the vent tube 310is only rotatable in one direction, towards the elongated portion 833,from the recess 835. In some forms, there is a corresponding second setof elongated portion 833, recess 835 and clearance 836 on the oppositeside of the receiver 830 which correspond to a second protrusion 816 onthe vent tube 810.

As best shown in FIG. 8B, there is a channel 836 on only one side ofeach of the elongated portions 833. When a vent tube is inserted intothe receiver 830 with the protrusions 316 aligned with the elongatedportions the vent tube can be rotated counterclockwise (from the pointof view shown in FIG. 8B) due to the clearance provided by the channelsor clearances 836. Once rotated a fraction of a full turn, the fractionbeing determined by the length of the clearances 836, the protrusions316 contact the far side of the recesses 835 causing the vent tube tostop rotating. The absence of a clearances 836 in the clockwisedirection of the elongated portions 833 prevents the vent tube frombeing rotated clockwise after insertion. FIG. 8B is taken from the topof the receiver, or the end inserted into the gas stem. Therefore fromthe point of view of the inserter, the rotation from the insertionposition to the locked position is a clockwise rotation, conforming tothe standard right hand turn to tighten method.

In operation, the vent tube 310 is oriented such that the protrusion orprotrusions 816 align with the grooves or elongated members 835. Thevent tube 810 is then fully inserted into the receiver and rotated afraction of the way around. In one embodiment, the fractional rotationis ninety degrees (90°). After rotating ninety degrees)(90° (or inalternative embodiments after any predetermined angle, such asforty-five degrees (45°) or one hundred eighty degrees (180°)), theprotrusions 816 contact the opposite sides of the recesses 835 wherethere is no clearance 836. Because there is no clearance 836, there isinsufficient room for the protrusions 816 to fit above the receiver 810and thus then are stopped from continuing to rotate. When the operatorfeels this stop, they simply release the vent tube 810 and gravityand/or the spring 332 push the vent tube 310 downward such that theprotrusions 316 rest in the recesses 835.

In an alternative embodiment, there is clearance for the protrusions 316round the entire circumference of the receiver 830 except for blocks,such as protrusions, on one side of each recess 835 and each elongatedportion 833. These blocks serve the same purpose as the clearance 836described above, namely as travel limits which only allowing the venttube 310 to rotate in one direction from either the recesses 835 or theelongated portions 833 and stopping rotation at the other.

FIG. 9 illustrates a gas stem 902 usable with any of the receivers orvent tubes described above. The gas stem 902 includes a plurality ofprongs 905. The prongs 905 extend upward along the body of the gas stem902. In operation, the gas stem extends upward into a housing, such asthe lower housing 14 shown in FIG. 1C. The housing includescorresponding grooves or recesses into which the prongs 905 extendand/or corresponding protrusions that extend into the channels definedby the prongs 905. In a preferred embodiment, the fit between the prongs905 and the corresponding structure in the housing is slightly loose,allowing for some tolerance when assembling the valve assembly. In apreferred embodiment there is 1/16th of an inch to ¼ of an inch oftolerance. The number of prongs can vary. In a preferred embodimentthere are between one and five prongs. In a more preferred embodimentthere are three prongs. In alternative embodiments, the prongs 905 arereplaced with grooves, channels, beads, flat areas, or some otherstructure capable of interfacing with corresponding structure in thehousing.

The prongs 905 serve to prevent the gas stem 902 from being unthreadedfrom the valve assembly as a result of torque applied to the receiver830 and/or the vent tube 310. As best shown in FIG. 8E, the receiver 830may additionally include one or more protrusion or prong 839. The prong839 similarly has corresponding structure in the housing of the valveassembly which prevents the receiver 830 from coming unscrewed from thegas stem 902 as a result of torque exerted on the vent tube 310. Inalternative embodiments, the prong 839 is replaced with one or moregrooves, channels, beads, flat areas, or some other structure capable ofinterfacing with corresponding structure in the housing.

In order to change the receiver 830 and/or the gas stem 902, thereceiver 830 and gas stem 902 are moved down relative to the housinguntil they protruding from the housing and the prongs 905, 839 are nolonger contacting the corresponding structure in the housing. Whilespecific designs have been illustrated for the vent tube and gas stemmating configuration, it should be understood that numerous otherdesigns may be used while still complying with the spirit of theinvention. For example, different shaped protrusions and matingreceptacles or channels could be used in other embodiments. Similarly,while the disclosure herein focuses on the vent tube, it should beunderstood that this disclosure covers vent tubes, gas stems, gas stemreceivers, and, in general, the mating configuration between the venttube and gas stem.

In addition to the above-mentioned embodiments, it should be understoodthat a variety of methods are also disclosed herein. For example, amethod of attaching a vent tube or assembling a gas stem assembly. As ismethods of manufacturing the devices described herein, and operating abottling machine having the devices described herein. These and othermethods related to the subject matter set forth herein are intended tobe covered by this disclosure. It should also be understood that whilecertain features have been described with certain embodiments, thesefeatures may be intermixed or interchanged with one another to formother embodiments as desired. All features disclosed herein are intendedto be used in any of the embodiments disclosed herein either in lieu ofsimilar features or in combination with other features.

This detailed description refers to specific examples in the drawingsand illustrations. These examples are described in sufficient detail toenable those skilled in the art to practice the inventive subjectmatter. These examples also serve to illustrate how the inventivesubject matter can be applied to various purposes or embodiments. Otherembodiments are included within the inventive subject matter, aslogical, mechanical, electrical, and other changes can be made to theexample embodiments described herein. Features of various embodimentsdescribed herein, however essential to the example embodiments in whichthey are incorporated, do not limit the inventive subject matter as awhole, and any reference to the invention, its elements, operation, andapplication are not limiting as a whole, but serve only to define theseexample embodiments. This detailed description does not, therefore,limit embodiments of the invention, which are defined only by theappended claims. Each of the embodiments described herein arecontemplated as falling within the inventive subject matter, which isset forth in the following claims.

1. A method of connecting a vent tube to a gas stem of a bottlingmachine using a positive lock comprising: providing a vent tube havingat least one alignment mechanism, a receiver defining at least a portionof a through-opening to allow the vent tube to be inserted into orremoved from the receiver, and a biasing mechanism for biasing againstat least a portion of the vent tube; aligning the at least one alignmentmechanism with the through-opening; inserting the vent tube into thereceiver against the biasing mechanism; and rotating the vent tube suchthat the at least one alignment mechanism is not aligned with thethrough-opening so that the vent tube is secured to the receiver.
 2. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the at least one alignment mechanism is aprotrusion and the receiver further defines a recess for receiving atleast a portion of the at least one alignment mechanism protrusion androtating the vent tube comprises rotating the vent tube such that the atleast a portion of the at least one alignment mechanism protrusion isnested in the recess defined by the receiver to hinder rotationalmovement of the vent tube.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the biasingmechanism comprises a sleeve and spring and the method further comprisesbiasing at least a portion of the sleeve against the at least a portionof the vent tube to encourage nesting of the at least a portion of theat least one alignment mechanism protrusion in the recess defined by thereceiver.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the biasing mechanism is aspring for directly or indirectly biasing against the at least a portionof the vent tube and the method comprises compressing the spring toallow the vent tube to be moved between a first position wherein thevent tube is removed from the receiver and a second position wherein theat least a portion of the at least one alignment mechanism is nested inthe recess defined by the receiver.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein theat least one alignment mechanism is a plurality of protrusions extendingfrom and positioned about the vent tube, and the through-openingincludes a plurality of recessed channels through which the plurality ofprotrusions travel as the vent tube is inserted into the receiver andinserting the vent tube comprises aligning the protrusions with therecessed channels to guide the vent tube as it is inserted into thereceiver.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the plurality of protrusionsinclude first and second protrusions located on opposite sides of thevent tube and the plurality of recessed channels include first andsecond recessed channels located on opposite sides of the receiver andinserting the vent tube comprises aligning the first protrusion with thefirst recessed channel and the second protrusion with the secondrecessed channel so that the vent tube is guided as it is inserted intothe receiver.
 7. A method of connecting a vent tube to a gas stem of abottling machine using a positive locking feature comprising: providinga vent tube having at least one vent tube alignment mechanism, areceiver defining at least a portion of a through-opening and at leastone receiver alignment mechanism for aligning with the vent tubealignment mechanism to allow the vent tube to be inserted into orremoved from the receiver, and a biasing mechanism for biasing againstat least a portion of the vent tube; aligning the vent tube with thethrough-opening and the at least one vent tube alignment mechanism withthe at least one receiver alignment mechanism; inserting the vent tubeinto the receiver against the biasing mechanism; rotating the vent tubesuch that the at least one vent tube alignment mechanism is not alignedwith the at least one receiver alignment mechanism so that the vent tubeis secured to the receiver; and locking the vent tube to the receiverusing the biasing mechanism to bias the vent tube protrusions out ofalignment with the receiver alignment mechanism to form a positivelocking feature that keeps the vent tube connected to the receiverthroughout bottling machine operations.
 8. The method of claim 7 whereinthe at least one vent tube alignment mechanism is a protrusion and theat least one receiver alignment mechanism is a recessed channel forreceiving and guiding the protrusion as the vent tube is inserted intothe receiver and aligning the vent tube comprises aligning the vent tubeprotrusion with the recessed channel of the receiver so that theprotrusion will travel within the recessed channel to allow the venttube to be inserted into the receiver.
 9. The method of claim 8 whereinthe protrusion includes first and second protrusions extending fromopposite sides of the vent tube and the recessed channel includes firstand second recessed channels located on opposite sides of the receiverand aligning the vent tube comprises aligning the first protrusion withthe first recessed channel and aligning the second protrusion with thesecond recessed channel so that the vent tube may be inserted into thereceiver.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the receiver further definesfirst and second nests for receiving the first and second protrusionsrespectively when the vent tube is inserted into the receiver and thevent tube and first and second protrusions are rotated out of alignmentwith the first and second recessed channels, and locking the vent tubeto the receiver comprises using the biasing mechanism to bias the firstand second protrusions into the first and second nests to form apositive locking feature that keeps the vent tube connected to thereceiver throughout bottling machine operations.
 11. The method of claim7 wherein the at least one receiver alignment mechanism is a protrusionand the at least one vent tube alignment mechanism is a recessed channelfor receiving and guiding the protrusion as the vent tube is insertedinto the receiver and aligning the vent tube comprises aligning thereceiver protrusion with the recessed channel of the vent tube so thatthe protrusion will travel within the recessed channel to allow the venttube to be inserted into the receiver.
 12. The method of claim 11wherein the protrusion includes first and second protrusions extendingfrom opposite sides of the receiver and the recessed channel includesfirst and second recessed channels located on opposite sides of the venttube and aligning the vent tube comprises aligning the first protrusionwith the first recessed channel and aligning the second protrusion withthe second recessed channel so that the vent tube may be inserted intothe receiver.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the vent tube furtherdefines first and second nests for receiving the first and secondprotrusions respectively when the vent tube is inserted into thereceiver and rotated such that the first and second protrusions are outof alignment with the first and second recessed channels, and lockingthe vent tube to the receiver comprises using the biasing mechanism tobias the first and second protrusions into the first and second nests toform a positive locking feature that keeps the vent tube connected tothe receiver throughout bottling machine operations.